At Toft Hill Primary School, we want to inspire pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who have an appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creation, and evaluation. We want pupils to develop the confidence to take risks, through drafting design concepts, modelling, and testing and to be reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others. Through our curriculum, we aim to build an awareness of the impact of design and technology on our lives and encourage pupils to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will have the skills to contribute to future design advancements.
As a starting point, we have used Kapow Primary’s Design & Technology scheme of work, which supports pupils in meeting the National Curriculum end of key stage attainment targets (2014). Our EYFS (Reception) units provide opportunities for pupils to work towards the Development Matters Statements and the Early Learning Goals.
Each unit of work, follows the design process (design, make and evaluate) and has a particular theme and focus from the technical knowledge and nutrition section (specific principles, skills and techniques in food, including where food comes from, diet and seasonality) of the curriculum. We are currently working on strengthening links with other curriculum subjects to make the learning as meaningful as possible and provide additional opportunities for reinforcement of key knowledge and skills. Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work including practical hands-on, computer-based and inventive tasks, which means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles.
The anticipated impact of our curriculum is that children will leave our school well prepared for the next stage of their learning because they will;
- Understand the functional and aesthetic properties of a range of materials and resources. Understand how to use and combine tools to carry out different processes for shaping, decorating, and manufacturing products.
- Build and apply a repertoire of skills, knowledge and understanding to produce high quality, innovative outcomes, including models, prototypes, CAD, and products to fulfil the needs of users, clients, and scenarios.
- Understand and apply the principles of healthy eating, diets, and recipes, including key processes, food groups and cooking equipment.
- Have an appreciation for key individuals, inventions, and events in history and of today that impact our world.
- Recognise where our decisions can impact the wider world in terms of community, social and environmental issues.
- Self-evaluate and reflect on learning at different stages and identify areas to improve.
- Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National Curriculum for Design and Technology.
- Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National Curriculum for Computing.
DT Whole School Curriculum Overview